The present invention is concerned with the management and storage of telecommunications cables. The management device of the present invention has particular application in the management and storage of fiber optic ribbon cables.
In telecommunications systems, it is important to protect the signal carrying telecommunications cables, while maintaining the cables in an organized manner. The telecommunications industry relies on storage devices, such as spools, to manage and store slack lengths of cable between communications components. Such slack lengths of cable may include ribbon cables including fiber optic ribbon cables.
When managing and storing ribbon cables it is important to protect the cables from the deleterious effects of both bending a cable below its minimum bend radius, as well as twisting of the ribbon cable. Both cause attenuation and loss of signal strength. Twisting or bending the ribbon cable also may cause the cable to break resulting in a complete disruption of the signal. Furthermore, the most efficient use of storage space for ribbon cable is accomplished when the ribbon cable is wound without twisting.
Therefore, there is continued need in the art for further cable management devices and methods which address such concerns in the telecommunications industry. as ease of use, size, reliability, cost, and protection of the cables, in particular ribbon cables.
One aspect of the present invention includes a storage spool for storing a length of slack cable, such as ribbon cable. The spool includes a center post from which radially extend end members, preferably configured as a plurality of top and bottom fins. The spool may be used in cooperation with a tray for holding the spool. The spool also allows for winding a length of ribbon cable onto a spool without twisting.
Another aspect of the present invention includes a tray for holding a storage spool. The tray includes bottom plate and a sidewall. The tray is shaped to receive the storage spool. The tray may also hold an insert instead of a cable storage spool, where the insert includes a telecommunications device, such as a splice or other circuit component.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a tray for holding a storage spool or other insert, the spool having a plurality of bottom fins, and the tray including a bottom plate and a sidewall. The bottom plate of the tray defines a pattern of holes to correspond to the bottom fins of the spool to be stored. The holes allow for reducing the vertical profile of the tray and spool assembly, thereby allowing for more efficient use of storage space.
Another aspect of the present invention includes a cable storage spool that has an oblong outer profile which allows for storing longer and analog lengths of cable even when the spool has been wound close to its capacity with cable.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to placing guide walls on the fins of a storage spool as discussed above which will assist in guiding and managing the ribbon cable.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a tray that includes a retention mechanism, such as a flexible clip arrangement having a push tab, where the retention mechanism retains the spool or other insert in the tray unless the retention mechanism is released. The spool or other insert can also include features of a retention mechanism for releasable retention with the tray.
A still further aspect of the present invention relates to modular cable management inserts and trays for receiving the modular cable management inserts. The trays for the inserts may be stacked, and hingedly mounted or otherwise movable for accessibility. The inserts can include cable storage features or signal processing or other management functions, such as couplers or splices.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for winding a loop of ribbon cable having remote ends around a storage spool without twisting the ribbon cable. The method includes the steps of placing a spool inside the loop of cable, pulling the spool away from the remote ends of the cable until the spool contacts the cable along a portion of the circumference of the spool, thereby defining a left length of cable from a right length of cable; crossing the left and right lengths of cable between the spool and the remote ends such that the left length of cable and the right length of cable necessarily cross twice; first-flipping the spool 180xc2x0 along an axis perpendicular to the direction the lengths of cable lead away from the spool, the flipping being toward the remote ends of the cable so that the crossed lengths of cables wrap around the spool without twisting, after first-flipping the spool a single crossing of the left and right lengths of cable remains between the spool and the remote ends of the cable; second-flipping the spool 180xc2x0 along the same axis and in the same direction as the first-flipping, the flipping being toward the remote ends of the cable so that the crossed lengths of cable wrap around the spool without twisting, after second-flipping the spool the left and right lengths of cable no longer cross between the spool and the remote ends of the cable; and repeating the crossing, first-flipping, and second-flipping steps until there remains insufficient cable in the loop to complete an additional flip.